12/18/02 Journal Update Main Page • John's Journal • CLL Information • Contact John • Seattle Cancer Care Alliance • MD Anderson Well, it has been a while since I last updated my journal. I enjoyed almost three years of remission from my CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia) for which I thank God. I wish I could say I was still in remission. In August of this year, however, my blood tests indicated an elevated white blood cell count of 12,000 (normal is between 4,000 and 10,000). This news made for a difficult night at home as we shared the news with our three boys. Since August, my doctor has monitored my blood counts. Each month my counts have shown a steady progression of my disease. Yesterday’s blood tests indicated my white blood cell counts were at 70,000 and my platelets at 65,000 (normal is between 150,000 and 200,000). The elevated white count along with CLL cells present in my bone marrow indicate that my CLL has returned. My remission was a wonderful reprieve. Now it’s time for the next battle in the war I have been waging against cancer since 1994. I am not thrilled about additional treatments, but it’s what needs to be done to keep myself around for Michelle and the boys. The return of the cancer has left me with some important decisions to make regarding treatment options. Since CLL is fairly slow growing, I have had time to explore the different treatment options available. I spoke to my local oncologist, Dr. Ostenson and my transplant oncologist, Dr. Petersdorf, at the University of Washington, In order to obtain more information, I decided to visit Dr. Keating at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. Dr. Keating is one of the leading CLL doctors in the country. Michelle’s friend, Lori, told us about Dr. Keating. Lori’s father is a patient of Dr. Keating. As I write this update, we are on a plane returning to Seattle after visiting Dr. Keating. The visit was a very encouraging experience. Dr. Keating gave us a clear treatment plan. He was very confident that this course of treatment would result in complete remission. The most impressive part of Dr. Keating, aside from his reputation and knowledge of CLL treatment, was his genuine compassion. Never before had a doctor ended an appointment by giving Michelle and me a big hug and a kiss. Thankfully, he only kissed Michelle. His parting words were, “Young man! We’re going to have you watching your grandchildren play basketball!” Definitely the kind of optimism and confidence I need from the doctors on my cancer fighting team. Needless to say, we will be following Dr. Keating’s suggested treatment protocol, which will be carried out back home at Dr. Ostenson’s office. I will start a protocol that involves a combination of two chemo drugs, Fludara and Cytoxin, along with an antibody therapy drug called Rhytuxan. The treatments should last about six months and should not affect my ability to work. Once remission is achieved we will look at using Campath to clean up any CLL cells left roaming around in my body. It is great to see the strides they have made in treating CLL since I was first diagnosed. It is my prayer that research will continue to make advances quickly enough to develop a total cure for my CLL. I need to say thank you to our good friends and family for their help in arranging my transportation to Houston, helping obtain insurance coverage, and for taking care of the boys during the trip. Michelle and I could not have made this trip happen on our own. We are truly blessed with some incredible friends and family. That continues to be one of the positives about my battle with cancer. We have had the opportunity to experience some amazing acts of kindness by so many people. We are humbled and thankful to God for richly blessing us. Keep the prayers for our family and for me coming. I am confident they hold the best healing medicine. I will try and keep my website updated regularly so people can follow my progress. Next Back ©2000-2003 John Shula-All Rights Reserved